Let's Go, Jane!

I’ve been living in the van for nearly a month now, and while there have certainly been challenges, it’s working out great so far. My primary design goal was “abundance.” I don’t want to be worrying every day about running out of water or electricity. My home is tiny, but living in it should be comfortable and relaxing.

My approach with the electrical system was unconventional, but then again, so is this whole living-in-a-van thing. I thought I might outsmart the vanlife YouTubers who install $5,000 electrical systems by starting with a $700 all-in-one power station. As my electrical needs grew, it became clear why most people don’t do it that way.

In the end, I split my electrical into two systems. On the DC (12V) side, I have a 200Ah lithium ion battery that powers my small appliances and is charged by two 200W solar panels on the roof. On the AC (120V) side, I’m using an Anker c2000 Gen 2 with a BP2000 expansion pack to power my induction stove, microwave, and outlets. They are charged by the van’s alternator while I’m driving. Both systems can be powered by connecting an extension cord to an external source, aka “shore power.” In this case, my parents’ garage. Energy abundance unlocked, for about half the cost of a traditional setup.

For water, I went with a 30-gallon fresh water tank and a 26-gallon gray water tank. Given that I don’t have a shower in the van, that is enough water to last me for weeks. And because much of the water is used for cooking and drinking and therefore doesn’t go down the drain, I only have to empty the gray water tank every other time I fill the fresh water tank. Which is a good thing, since Massachusetts has very few dump stations to offer. There was practically one on every corner in Florida, where RVs are rampant. Here I need to drive at least half an hour to the nearest one.

The one area where I haven’t quite achieved abundance yet is heat. Thinking I had until the fall to figure it out, I optimistically left my propane space heater in my sister’s basement in Connecticut. This week I had to manage 4 days of 40-50 degree weather by bundling up in layers, making cups of herbal tea to warm my hands, and sleeping under an electric blanket. 

I did a deep dive on YouTube the other day on heat options, and while I would absolutely love to put in a small woodstove, that would only really work if I am staying in the same place for weeks at a time. An infrared electric panel heater could work if I am driving regularly to recharge the power station. Since I don’t know how often I will be driving, the safest bet is to install a gas-powered heater that taps into the van’s gas tank. The weather seems to have warmed up for now, so I’m buying more time to figure out what heat abundance looks like in my setup.

I continue to work on finishing the van, a few hours at a time. It’s comfortable to live in, but at some point I’d like to have cabinet doors so I’m not looking at bungee cords. I want to learn how to upholster my bench seat. I need to build in more storage so everything has its place. The clutter builds up quickly in such a small space. But overall I have adjusted quickly to living in the van, and it feels like exactly where I want to be right now. For all the time I spent designing and building it, the real surprise is how quickly it started to feel like home.